Automatic covering for automobiles.



D. C. WATT & F. A. GREARSON.

AUTOMATIC COVERING FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATlON FILED FEB. 20, 1915. RENEWED MAR. 15. 1911.

@o I Patented July 17, 1917. fig]. j

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DELTON G. WATT AND FREDERICK A. GREARSON, OE BARB/E, VERMONT.

AUTOMATIC COVERING FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 1'7, 1917..

Application filed February 20, 1915, Serial No. 9,708. Renewed March 15, 1917. Serial No. 155,112.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DELTON G. WATT and FREDERICK A. GRnARsoN, citizens of the United States, residing at Barre, in the county of Washington and State of Vermont, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Coverings for Au-. tomobiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to foldable tops for vehicles, motor boats or the like, and more especially to that class of combination foldable tops and dust covers for automobiles, motor boats and other uses to which the invention may be adapted.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a foldable top of this character wherein on the folding thereof it will serve as a dust cover to protect the said top when not in use or raised.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a dust cover which serves as a protector for the top when folded, and is of novel construction so as to obviate the necessity of any change or alteration in the top.

for the vehicle of the ordinary well-known construction.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a dust cover of this character which acts upon the covering of the top to fold the same in a novel manner when the top is lowered so as to completely'house the bows and a greater portion of the covering of the top, while the remaining portion of the said covering serves to protect the top when folded from dust and during inclement weather.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a cover of this character which is automatic in action on the folding of the top, thereby obviating the necessity of applying a separable dust-proof covering as usual and also obviating inconvenience to the occupant of the vehicle because the cover will coact with the top when being folded to assume a position for protecting the folded top when lowered.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a cover of this character which is simple in construction, readily and easily fitted in the foldable top, thoroughly reliable and efficient in its purpose, and inexpensive in manufacture.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will bows of the top being in section.

.Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showlng in detail the cover construction when the top 15 raised.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawing.

Referring to the drawing in detail, A designates a portion of the body of an automobile, B the fleXible covering of the foldable top, which is supported by the usual bows C, the foldable top being of the ordinary well-known construction. It is to be understood, of course, that the dust cover forming the subject matter of the present invention can be applied to various foldable vehicle tops, and in this instance the foldable automobile top is merely shown to illustrate the construction of the dust cover and the operation thereof, Therefore, the invention is not restricted to its use particularly with this type of foldable top.

The dust cover comprises a fixed section 10, front swinging section 11, and rear swinging section 12, the latter being preferably in inverted substantially U-shape, while the section 11 is in the form of a plate, these sections 11 and 12 being connected to the section 10 through the medium of the respective hinge joints 18 and 141-, and the said section 10 is fixed tothe head or cross stretch of the rearmost bow C of the foldable top so that the same is fixed on the said bow to move therewith, while the sections 11 and 12 are movable independently of each other relative to the section 10 at the points of the hinge joints 13 and 14:, respectively.

The covering B of the foldable top overlies the Sections 10 and 11, and is suitably fixed to the bowcarrying the section 10, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

Hinged or otherwise swingingly connected to the rear end of the body A near the top edge of the seat therein adjacent to each side I of the said body is a substantially flat sleeve like guide 15, and into these guides are slidably telescoped the extensions 16 of the extensions 16 are moved to the position shown in Fig. '2 of the drawing so as to inclose the bows and a greater portion of the covering-of the'top B,as will be apparent. On raising th top B the dust-cover assumes the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawing. i/Vhen the top has been completely folded the dust cover protects the same from dust and during inclement 'weather. Preferably, the sections 10, 11 and 12 of the dust cover, together with the guid sleeves 16, are made from sheetnetal, al-

though it is to be understood that they may be made from any other suitable material.

To raise the top from its closed position,

shown in Fig. 2,-the operator takes hold of one of the bows C and the lifting of the same causes the section 11 to move out of.

the path of the traveling bows into a vertical position which allows the parts to move out freely fromthe housing and as the move ment, of the bows iscontinued the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 1, and on a "reverse movement of the top to its closed position the parts move from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2. What is claimed is: p v

1. A dust cover for foldable tops comprising substantially rigid sections located at one end of the top and having swinging connection with one another, one of said sections being fixed to one of the supports for the top whereby, on the folding of the latter, a housing is formed by the section for receiving a major portion of the top.

' 2. A cover for foldable tops comprising sections arranged at one end of the top and having hinged connection with each other i and movable into housing formation to inclose the top when folded.

3. A dust proof cover comprising a. plurality of cooperative. members constituting a former adapted to be located at one end of a foldable top and being apart, thereof for vehicles to bring a portion of the top into housing formation when said top is folded.

4. A' dust cover for foldable tops comprising a plurality of sections, means swing-. ingly connecting the sections, one of said sections beingof substantially inverted U-, shape, another ofsaid sections adapted to befixed. to one of the supports of the top whereby on the folding of the latter the sections will assume a housing formation for receiving the top when folded, and sleevelike members adapted to be swingingly connected to the body of a vehicle and-slidably receiving the ends of the U-shaped section for guiding it in its movement during the folding of the top.

5. A dust cover for foldable tops comprising a plurality of sections, means swingingly connecting the sections, one of said sections being of substantially inverted U-shape, another of said sections adapted to be fixed to one of the supports of the top whereby on th folding of the latter the sections will assume a housing formation for receiving the top when folded, and sleeve-like members adapted to be swingingly connected to the body of a vehicle and slid'ably receiving the ends of the U-shaped section for guiding it in its movement during the folding of th top, the said top having its covering extended over certain of the said sections. Y

6. A dust cover comprising substantially rigid sections arranged for only' a portion of the length of a vehicle top and permanently connected with each other and adapted to fold with the top for enveloping a major portion thereof.

7. In a cover for foldable tops, a top or cover, movable supporting means for the said top, a supporting body on which said supporting means is movably mounted, and means coacting with said top as said top folds to its closed position on the supporting body and constituting a folding former for said top in such folding movement to form a portion of said top into a housing formation to receive within said housing another 105 portion of the said top as the top folds to its closedposition.

8. In a cover for foldabl tops, a top or cover, movable supporting means for the said top, a supporting body on which said 110 supporting means is movably mounted, and means co-acting with said top as said top folds toits closed position on the supporting body and constituting a folding former for said top as the said means folds with 115 said top in such folding movement to form a portion of said top into a housing formation to receive within said housing formation another portion of the said top as the top folds to its closed position.

9. In a cover for foldable tops, a top or cover, movable supporting means for the said top, a supporting body on which said supporting means is movably mounted, and means co-act-ing with said top as said top 125 fold to its closed position on the supporting body and constituting a, folding former for said top as the said means folds with said. top to form the rear portion of said top into a housing formation to receive within said 130 housing formation the front portion of the said top as the top folds to its closed position.

10. In a cover for foldable tops, a top or cover, movable supporting means for the said top, a supporting body on which said supporting means is movably mounted, and means co-acting with said top as said top folds to its closed position on the supporting body and constituting a folding former for said top as the said means folds with said top in such folding movementto form the rear portion of said top into a housing formation to receive within said housing formation the front portion of the said top as the top folds to its closed position.

11. In a cover for foldable tops, a top or cover, movable supporting means for the said top, a supporting body on which said supporting means is movably mounted, and means co-acting with and included in the movement of said top as said top folds to its closed position and constituting a folding former for said top in such folding move ment and secured to the top supporting mechanism and adapted in the folding operation of the top to its closed position to form aportion of said top into a housing formation to receive within said housing formation another portion of the said top as the top folds to its closed position.

12. In a cover for foldable tops, a top or cover, movable supporting means for the said top, a supporting body on which said supporting means is movably mounted, and means co-acting with and forming a part of said top as the said top folds to its closed position on the supporting body and consti tuting a folding former for said top and secured to the said supporting means and adapted in the operation of folding the top to fold therewith and to form a portion of the latter into housing formation to receive another portion of the top as the top is folding to its closed position and upon the reverse operation of raising the top to move out of the path of said other portion of the top in the housing as the top moves from its closed to its open position.

13. In a cover for foldable tops, a top or cover, movable supporting means for the said top, a supporting body on which said supporting means is movably mounted, 00- operating sections with side extensions and forming a part of the top with one of the sections fixed to one of the supporting bows of the top and constituting a folding former for the foldable top and adapted in the operation of folding the top to fold therewith and to form a portion of the top into housing formation by the movement of the cooperating sections and their extensions to receive another portion of the top as the top folds to its closed position.

14. In a cover for foldable tops, a top or cover, movable supporting means for the said top, a supporting body on which said supporting means is movably mounted, and cooperating section with side extensions and included in said top and forming a part thereof and with one of said sections fixed to one of the supporting bows of the top and constituting a folding former for folding the top as the top moves toward and into its closed position and adapted in the operation of folding the top to fold therewith and to form the rear portion of the top into housing formation to receive within said housing the front portion of said top as the top folds to its closed position.

15. In a foldable top, means constituting a folding former therefor as the top folds to its closed position and adapted in the folding movement of the said top to form a portion of the top into a housing formation to receive within said housing another portion of the top.

16. In a foldable top, means constituting a folding former therefor as the top folds to its closed position and adapted in the rearward movement of the said top to form the rear portion of the top into a housing formation to receive within said housing the front portion of the top.

17. In a foldable top, means constituting a folding former therefor as the top folds to its closed position and adapted in the folding movement of the said top to form a portion of the top into a housing formation to receive within said housing another portion of the top and to cover said top after the housed portion of the top has folded within the said housing formation.

18. In a foldable top, means constituting a folding former therefor as the top folds to its closed position and adapted in the rearward movement of the said top to form the rear portion of the top into a housing formation to receive within said housing the front portion of the top and to cover said top after the housing portion of the top has folded within the said housing formation.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

DELTON C. WATT. FREDERICK A. GREARSON.

Witnesses:

EARLE R. DAVIS, Jos. F. CONWAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

